Box and box blank



Sept. 30, 1969 MEYERS 3,469,767

BOX AND BOX BLANK Original Filed Feb. 1, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. eeoaea LEROY "mans fizzy/ a I ATTORNEY P 1969 G. L. MEYERS 3,469,767

BOX AND BOX BLANK Original Filed Feb. 1, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GE LEROY MEYERS Sept. 30, 1969 G. L. MEYERS 3,469,767

BOX AND BOX BLANK Original Filed Feb. 1, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

, INVENTOR. GE GE LEROY MEYERS Sept. 30, 1969 5, MEYERS 3,469,767

BOX AND BOX BLANK Original Filed Feb. 1, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR GEORGE LEROY MEYERS TTORNEY United States Patent 3,469,767 BOX AND BOX BLANK George Leroy Meyers, Menasha, Wis., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Continuation of application Ser. No. 613,287, Feb. 1, 1967. This application June 7, 1968, Ser. No. 739,891

Int. Cl. B65d /54 US. Cl. 229-51 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application s a continuation of Ser. No. 613,287, filed Feb. 1, 1967, and now abandoned.

The invention relates to the art of boxes and particularly to those made from a suitable sheet material as for example paperboard. Such boxes are made by cutting and creasing or scoring the sheet material into individual blanks, which blanks are formed to receive a product and are thereafter sealed for marketing the product.

One of the desirable features of the boxes is to preserve the freshness of the products as by sealing the carton to restrict the flow of air or moisture to or from the interior of the box. Boxes may be readily sealed for such preservation, however, access to the interior of the box may require destruction of the box to the annoyance of the consumer. Moreover, the remnants of the box may be unsightly and unsuitable for re-use in storing the unused portion of boxed product.

Another important consideration in the construction of boxes is that the product be readily accessible for removal from the opened box. Preferably the opening ought to be adequate to permit removal of the product in the desired quantity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention meets these considerations and discloses a box having a receptacle and a cover. The receptacle includes the usual bottom, front, and rear walls and end wall closures formed with flaps joined to the bottom, front, and rear walls.

The cover serves to close and seal the receptacle. A glue flap may seal the cover to the front wall of the receptacle, and cover end panels, by means of a suitable adhesive, seal the end closures of the box. The box therefore is sealed in a manner which substantially reduces channels through which air and moisture may flow.

For opening the box, a line of weakness is located in the cover end flap to break the seal between one of the panels of the carton and the remainder of the box. Preferably the line of weakness occurs in the cover end panel adjacent the front receptacle wall so to break the seal between the front panel and the end closure. In addition, the seal between the cover and the front panel may be broken in a suitable manner thereby to free the front panel for opening the box.

'i It will be observed that such construction is particularly suitable for packaging bakery products such as cakes. The preferred embodiment of the invention will be described below with particular reference to a box for packaging cake. Such description is for purposes of illustration, it being understood that the principles of the present invention may be embodied in modified forms for use in packaging other products.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a blank of sheet material cut and creased for forming a box having a cover which completely seals each end closure and the front 'wall of the receptacle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a box which may be opened by breaking the seal between an opening panel and the remainder of the box so to obtain easy access to the interior of the box.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a box of sheet material preferably paperboard with a cover which seals both the end closures and the front panel of the box and which may be opened by breaking the seal between the front panel and the remainder of the box thereby to lower the front wall panel and if desired, to permit raising of the cover of the box to give complete access to the interior of the box.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a box having a front panel which opens for access to the interior of the box and in which the front panel may be reclosed to provide a re-usable box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box having an openable front panel and cover both of which may be reclosed for re-using the box.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a blank cut and creased to form a box according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG- URE 1 which has been folded and side seamed into the form of a flat tube;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG- URE 2 which has been set up into position for receiving a product through one of the open ends;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the box of FIGURE 3 illustrating in particular the manner in which the end closure is formed;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the box of FIG- URES 1 through 4 which has been formed, filled, and sealed;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the box of FIG- URE 5 in which the seal has been broken between the front receptacle panel and the remainder of the box;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing the box of FIGURE 6 in the open position for easy access to the product in the box;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a modified blank according to the invention, which blank is suitably cut and creased blank for forming a modified box;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG- URE 8 which has been folded and sideseamed into the form of a flat tube;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the box of FIG- URE 9 which has been set up into open-ended position for receiving a product through one of the open ends;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the box of FIGURE 10 illustrating the manner for sealing the end closure of the box;

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the sealed box according to the present invention;

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of the box of FIG- URE 12 which has been opened; and

FIGURE 14 is a section view illustrating the action of the supplemental panel in locking the cover to the receptacle of the reclosed box.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURE 1, the present invention includes a paper board blank 1 suitably cut and creased for forming a box having a receptacle portion 2 and a cover portion 3. Typically, the receptacle portion includes a front wall 4, a bottom panel 5, and a rear wall 6 connected by respective score lines 7 and 8. The receptacle includes a pair of end closures 10 which form end walls for the receptacle. Preferably, each end closure 10 includes a front wall flap 11, a bottom wall flap 12, and a rear wall flap 13 connected by respective score lines 14-16 to the front, bottom, and rear walls of the receptacle. A suitable adhesive is used for securing the flaps of the end closure. The adhesive may be pre-applied hot melt and preferably is applied to the end closure flaps 11-13. Each of the end closure flaps 11-13 has applied thereto, a strip of adhesive Ila-13a by which the end closure of the box may be sealed. Each adhesive strip Ila-13a occurs on the underside of its flap 11-13 as indicated by broken lines in FIGURE 1. Each bottom wall end flap 12 is recessed at its side edges 12b to facilitate sealing the end closure as best shown in FIGURE 4. Each recess 12b, exposes the strips of adhesive 11a and 13a on the adjacent end closure flaps 11 and 13 so that these adhesive strips may participate in sealing the end closure of the receptacle.

The cover portion 3 of the blank is connected by a score line 17 to the upper edge of the rear wall 6 of the receptacle. The cover includes a top panel 18 connected by suitable score lines 20 to cover end panels 21 and to a front panel glue flap 22 by score line 23. The front panel glue fiap receives a strip of adhesive 22a for sealing the cover 3 to the front wall 4 of the receptacle. Preferably, each cover end panel includes a line of weakness 24 for permitting easy access to the carton in a manner to be explained more fully below.

The principles of the present invention will be better understood by describing in sequence the manner for forming, filling, sealing, and opening the box according to the present invention.

In FIGURE 2, the blank 1 has been folded about the score lines 7 and 17 into the form of a flat tube. In this position, the glue flap 22 is sealed by adhesive 22a to the front wall 4 of the receptacle so that the partially formed box will retain its tubular condition. In such flattened tubular condition, the blank may be shipped from the point of manufacture of the blank to the point of filling and sealing the carton.

In FIGURE 3, the partially formed blank 1 has been set up into the form of an open, tube for receiving a product through one of the end closures 10. For sealing each end closure (shown in FIGURES 3 and 4) the front and rear wall flaps 11 and 13 are pivoted about their score lines '14 and 16 into the closed position. Next, each bottom wall flap 12 pivots on its score line 15 into face-to-face contact with the front and rear wall flaps 11 and 13. In this position, the strips of adhesive 11a, 12a, 13a on the end wall closure flaps are exposed in the form of a U to sealing contact with each cover end panel 21. It will be observed that the recesses 12b on each bottom wall flap 12 exposed the rear and front wall adhesive strips 11a and 13a to sealing contact with each cover end panel 21.

For sealing each end closure, each cover end panel 21 I strip thereby sealing the end closure. This manner of sealing the end closure substantially eliminates channels through which air and moisture may pass to or from the interior of the box. a

4 FIGURE 5 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention after it has been filled and sealed.

A suitable opening feature is provided to permit access into the interior of the sealed box 25. Preferably, the opening feature is convenient to use and permits access to the interior of the box without destroying the box. A preferred opening feature is shown in FIGURE 5 and includes the line of weakness 24 in each cover end panel 21 which perrnits breaking the seal between the front receptacle wall 4 and the remainder of the box. Each line of weakness 24 in the cover end panel defines a line wherein the glue area 11a between each front wall flap 11 (FIGURE 7) and each cover end panel may easily be separated. As shown in FIGURE 6, each line of weakness 24 is broken thereby separating the sealed connection between the front wall 4 and the remainder of the receptacle. The seal between the cover panel 18 and the front receptacle wall 4 is broken by lifting the glue flap 22, which tears away a strip 22b from the front wall.

The open front wall 4 is illustrated in FIGURE 7 and it will be observed that each line of weakness 24 runs generally parallel to each recess 12b in the bottom end closure flaps 12. Each bottom end closure flap 12 reinforces the cover end flap 21 so that the line of weakness 24 may be broken effectively by pressing inwardly on the cover end panel near the weakness line 24. The slug of material 26 separated by breaking each line of weakness 24 remains attached to the front wall end closure flaps 11.

The product 27 may readily be removed through the opened front wall 4 of the box 1 as shown in FIGURE 7. For reclosure of the box, the front wall is pivoted into position so as to reclose the box.

A modified construction according to the present in vention is illustrated in FIGURES 8 through 14.

FIGURE 8 illustrates a blank 30 suitably cut and creased for forming a box according to the present invention. The modified blank includes a receptacle portion 31 and a cover portion 32.

The receptacle portion 31 includes a bottom panel 33 connected to front 34 and rear 35 walls by suitable score lines 36 and 37. The receptacle includes a pair of end closures 38 each having a front flap 40, a bottom flap 41, and a rear flap 42 connected by score lines 43-45 to the front, bottom, and rear walls of the receptacle. A pair of spaced score lines 43a also connect each front flap 40 to the front wall 34 to facilitate formation of the box which is described below.

A strip of adhesive 40a42a is applied to each end closure flap 40-42 for sealing the end closure. Each bottom flap 41 is recessed at 41b for exposing the adhesive strips 40a and 42a to sealing relationship with respect to the cover end panels 41 in a manner similar to that described above in connection with FIGURES 1 and 4 and as will be readily understood by reference to FIGURE 11 below. Each bottom flap 41 includes a second adhesive strip 41c for defining an additional sealing area for each end closure in a manner more fully described below.

The front wall 34 of the receptacle is provided with a supplemental panel 46 which forms a side seam connection 47 (FIGURE 9) between the cover and the receptacle portions of the blank. The unique function of the supplemental panel 46 is to provide a connection between the receptacle and cover which is tamperproof before opening and which after opening along severance line 48 serves as a locking device for reclosing or holding the cover in a reclosed position with respect to the receptacle. This construction is disclosed in my Patent No. 3,191,848 dated June 29, 1965.

The cover 32 (FIGURE 8) is connected to the receptacle 31 by a suitable scored line 50 and includes a top panel 51 which may be partially cut away to form a window 52, which window may be covered by a sheet 53 of transparent material such as cellophane. A pair of cover end panels 54 are hingedly connected by suitable score lines 55 to the top panel. Each cover end panel 54, in addition, includes a suitable opening device as for example a zipper 56 defined by spaced weakness lines 57 for separating the cover 32 from the sealed end closure 38 of the formed box in a manner to be more fully described below. Each end closure panel may also include another line of weakness 58 whereby the front panel 34 of the receptacle may be unsealed from the receptacle.

A glue flap 60 depends from the front edge of the top panel 51 by a score line 61. The glue flap includes a strip of adhesive 62 for adhering to the supplemental panel 46 in side seaming the blank (FIGURE 9). The glue flap 60 includes a pair of corner flaps 63 which join the glue flap to adjacent cover end panels 54 thereby to form a depending skirt 64 (FIGURE 13) which includes glue flap 60 and end panel strips 54a. The depending skirt telescopes about the upper edge of the receptacle and supports one side 46a (FIGURE 14) of the supplemental panel 46 for relocking the cover and the receptacle.

Referring now to FIGURE 9, the blank 30 may be folded about its score line 37 into position wherein the glue flap 60 is side seamed to the supplemental panel 46. -It will be observed that the strip of adhesive 62 on the glue flap 60 registers with and adheres only to the outer portion 46a of the supplemental panel 46. In this manner, the supplemental panel 46 may be separated along line 48. During side seaming, the corner flaps 63 are adhered to overlying portions 460 of the supplemental panel 46.

After side seaming, the partially formed box may be set up (FIGURE 10) to receive a product through one of its open ends 38. After filling each end closure 38 is closed and sealed by pivoting the front, bottom, and rear flaps 40-42 into the position illustrated in FIGURE 11.

The front flap 40 when moving to the closed position (FIGURE 11) pivots about score line 43 and about score lines 43a. This double pivot action is accommodated by a slit 43b. As a result of this double pivot action, the adhesive 63a on glue flap 63 lies in a common plane with the adhesive 40a on front flap 40. In this manner, improved sealing action occurs at the end closure.

The end closure flaps 40-42 when folded into this position present a strip of adhesive 40a-42a and 63a to the cover end panel for sealing the end closure of the box as shown in FIGURE 12. Moreover, each bottom flap 41 (FIGURES 11 and 12) may have an additional adhesive strip 41b for anchoring the cover end panel 54 in the vicinity of the zipper 56.

To open the box, each of the zippers 56 (FIGURE 13) is removed and the line of weakness 58 is broken. By removing the zipper and by detaching the supplemental panel 46 along severance line 48, the cover 32 with its depending skirt 64 portion may be pivoted about the rear wall score line 50 to an open position. In like manner, the broken line of weakness 58 permits pivoting the front wall 34 about its score line 36 to provide easy access to the contents in the box.

For reclosure, the front wall 34 is pivoted into reclosed position and the cover 32 is pivoted into its downward position with the skirt 64 in telescoping relation to the upper portion of the receptacle 31. As best shown in FIGURE 14, the outer 46a and inner 46b portions of the supplemental panel 46 retain the cover 32 in a closed position with respect to the receptacle 31.

It will be observed that applicant has provided a new and useful construction for boxes permitting a box to be completely sealed and to be opened easily for convenient reclosure and storage of the unused portions of the contents of the box.

Various changes may be made to the form, construction, and arrangement of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages. The foregoing description is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A blank for forming a box, said blank being cut and creased to form a receptacle portion including front, bottom and rear wall panels, a plurality of flaps connected each by a score line to opposite edges of the receptacle front, bottom and rear wall panels, said flaps being adapted to form a pair of end closures, a cover panel connected by a score line to the receptacle portion, said cover panel having a pair of end panels for sealing the end closure flaps of the receptacle, means for sealing the front, bottom and rear peripheral edges of each cover end panel to the adjacent edges of the bottom, front and rear end closure flaps when the blank is formed into a box and a line of weakness in each cover end panel adjacent the front edge thereof for severing the connection between the front wall and each cover end panel.

2. A blank for forming a box, such blank being cut and creased to form a receptacle portion including front, bottom and rear wall panels, a plurality of flaps connected each by a score line to opposite edges of the receptable wall panels, said flaps being adapted to form a pair of end closures, a cover panel connected by a score line to the receptacle, said cover having a pair of end panels for sealing each end closure of the receptacle portion, means for sealing the front, bottom and rear peripheral edges of each cover end panel to the adjacent portion of the end closure flaps when the blank is formed into a box, a first line of weakness in each cover end panel adjacent the front edge thereof for severing the sealing connection between the front wall and each cover end panel, a second line of weakness in each cover end panel whereby the sealing relation may be broken between the cover panel and each end closure of the receptable, each of said second lines of weakness being so positioned to form after severance a skirt panel at each side edge of the cover panel, and a front cover panel adapted to be connected to each of said skirt panels.

3. A box formed from sheet material such as paperboard having a receptacle portion including a bottom panel and front and rear walls, a pair of end closures for forming the side wall portions of the receptacle, each end closure comprising flaps connected by score lines respectively to a side edge of said front and rear walls and to a side edge of said bottom panel, a cover panel connected by a score line to the rear wall of the receptacle, a pair of end panels depending from the cover panel for sealing each end closure of the receptable, means for sealing the front, bottom and rear peripheral edge of each cover end panel to the adjacent end closure flaps, and a line of weakness in each cover end panel adjacent the front edge thereof for severing the seal connection between the front wall and each cover end panel, and means for securing the front edge of the cover to the front wall of the receptacle.

4. A box including a receptacle portion having bottom, front and rear walls, flaps connected to opposed edges of each of said walls for forming a pair of end closures for the receptacle, a cover connected by a scored line to the receptable, said cover including a top panel and depending end cover panels, means for securing each cover panel to its corresponding end closure, each end cover panel including a first line of weakness whereby each end cover panel may be separated from the cover so as to define first and second depending skirt panels for the cover, each cover end panel including a second line of weakness wherein the seal may be broken between the front wall panel and each end closure of the box, means for detachably connecting the front edge of the cover top panel to the front wall of the receptacle, said connecting means including a third depending panel which cooperates with said first and second skirt panel to form a cover skirt which telescopes over the upper portion of the receptacle.

5. The box of claim 4 which further includes a supplemental panel between said receptacle front wall and third depending panel, which supplemental panel is secured at one end to the front wall and at its other end to the third panel, and a line of weakness intermediate the ends of the supplemental panel whereby the cover may be reclosed after opening for retaining the front wall in reclosed position.

6. A blank for forming a box, said blank being cut and creased to form a receptacle portion including front, bottom and rear Wall panels, a plurality of flaps connected each by a score line to opposite edges of the receptacle front, bottom and rear wall panels, said flaps being adapted to form a pair of end closures, a cover panel connected to the receptacle portion, said cover panel having a pair of end panels for sealing the end closure flaps of the receptacle, means for sealing the front edge of each cover end panel to the adjacent edge of the front end closure flap when the blank is formed into a box, and a line of weakness in each cover end panel adjacent the front edge thereof, the line of weakness in each cover end panel being located inwardly of the sealing connection between the cover end panel and the front end closure flap and the line of weakness in each cover end panel further being positioned between the top edge and the bottom edge of said cover end panel so that the sealing connection between the front wall and each cover end panel may be severed.

7. A blank as defined in claim 6 which further includes means for sealing the bottom edge of each cover end panel to the adjacent edge of the bottom closure flap when the blank is formed into a box.

8. A blank as defined in claim 7 which further includes a second line of weakness in each cover end panel whereby the sealing relation may be broken between the cover panel and each end of the receptacle, each of said second lines of weakness being so positioned to form after severance a skirt panel at each side edge of the cover panel, and a front cover panel adapted to be connected to each of said skirt panels.

9. The blank as defined in claim 7 wherein the line of weakness in each cover end panel extends from a point adjacent the bottom edge of cover end panel to the sec- 0nd line of weakness.

10. In a box having a receptacle portion including front, bottom and rear walls and a cover portion including a cover panel, the improvement which comprises an end closure including front, rear and bottom end closure flaps each connected to an edge of a receptacle wall, an end closure panel connected to an edge of the top panel and adapted to overlie said end closure flaps, means for securing the peripheral edge of the end closure panel to the end closure flaps, the bottom end closure flap having a recessed edge so that the end closure panel may be secured directly to the front end closure fiap and a line of weakness in the end closure panel being generally parallel to the recessed edge of the bottom end closure flap whereby the end closure panel and the bottom wall end closure flap cooperate in servering the end closure panel along said line of weakness.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,315,874 4/1967 Buttery 229-51 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner 

